The South Dakota State women's soccer team hosts Drake in its 2012 regular season home opener at Fishback Soccer Park on Friday...

SDSU hosts its home opener after a 0-1-1 showing in the Kansas Invitational Tournament last weekend. The Jacks tied UNLV 0-0 (2 OT) on Friday before dropping its tournament finale to No. 24 Georgia 5-0 on Sunday.

Christa Nyblom, senior midfielder and team captain, played in all 20 games for South Dakota State (19 starts) and is the top returner in goals (5), points (11), shots (36) and shots on goal (21). She also scored three game-winning goals, second-best on the team.

Stéphanie Bérubé, senior defender, played in 19 games for the Jacks (19 starts), scoring one goal on four shots. Aside from Nyblom, she is the only returning all-conference selection from 2011 (second team).

The Jacks return five starters and 12 additional letterwinners from the 2011 squad, while adding nine freshmen and one transfer student-athlete. The Jacks graduated Summit League Offensive Player of the Year Kayla Braffet and four other all-conference selections: Cori Bonte (first team), Kat Donovan (first team), Kelli Herman (first team) and Kelsey Ferguson (second team).

By way of its regular season finish, SDSU hosts the four-team Summit League Championship on Nov. 2 and Nov. 4 in Brookings, S.D.

Head coach Lang Wedemeyer leads the Jackrabbits in his 13th season. Wedemeyer compiled a 112-88-26 record in his first 12 seasons.

Preseason Poll
The South Dakota State women's soccer team tabbed for second in the 2012 Summit League Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll.

The Jacks received four of the nine first-place votes and finished with 59 total points, two points behind league-favorite Oakland. The vote consists of the league's nine head coaches.

SDSU finished second in the preseason poll for the fourth straight season, tying North Dakota State for second entering 2011. This season, the Jacks are alone in second by 12 points, followed by Kansas City (47) and NDSU (46).

THIS WEEKDrake Bulldogs – The Jacks face the Bulldogs for the seventh time in school history. Drake leads the all-time series 4-2-0, but SDSU won two of the last three meetings, including last season.

Last season, SDSU won an overtime thriller at Drake, 1-0. The Jacks pressured early and often, but needed overtime to score the game winner. Eight minutes into overtime, SDSU earned a corner kick. Senior Steph Peterson played the ball into the Bulldogs' box, where it was controlled by the defense. The Drake defender lost the ball in a scramble in front of the net and junior defender Stéphanie Bérubé was in the right place at the right time.

SDSU finished the game with a 17-11 shots advantage, which included an 11-4 shots on goal advantage. Corner kicks remained even for both teams at 6-6.

Drake enters today's game with a 2-2-0 overall record.

The two teams have two common opponents this season, although each played the other in an exhibition game. Drake lost to Green Bay 2-1 in an exhibition at Green Bay, while SDSU topped the Phoenix 2-0 on the road. The Jacks lost to Nebraska 2-0 in an exhibition game in Brookings, while the Bulldogs beat the Cornhuskers 1-0 in Lincoln.

LAST WEEKUNLV Rebels - The South Dakota State women's soccer team tied UNLV 0-0 (2 OT) in its Kansas Invitational opener on Friday afternoon.

Both teams entered the weekend 1-1 after splitting a pair of games on opening weekend.

The first half was rather quiet, as neither team found the net and threatened sparsely.

The second half was more of the same, as each team had its opportunities but failed to capitalize.

The first overtime period was very similar to the second half.

The game ended in a 0-0 (2 OT) tie.

SDSU finished with the advantage in shots (11-10), but UNLV led in shots on goal (7-3). The Rebels took eight corner kicks, while the Jacks took five. UNLV was whistled for 17 fouls and one offside. SDSU was whistled for 12 fouls and two offside.

No. 24 Georgia Bulldogs - The South Dakota State women's soccer team was shutout by Georgia in its Kansas Invitational finale on Sunday morning.

SDSU entered with a 1-1-1 record by virtue of its 0-0 (2 OT) tie versus UNLV on Friday. Georgia dropped its invitational opener 1-0 to host Kansas.

It took only a few minutes to change the fortunes of the Bulldogs, as Georgia scored 210 seconds into the game. The goal scored on a follow off of a saved header by SDSU GK Elisa Stamatakis.

The Bulldogs led 1-0 at halftime.

The second half started in similar fashion, as Georgia scored early after the whistle. Seven minutes and 56 seconds into the half the Bulldogs extended the lead to 2-0 on a bending shot from 30 yards out.

Three minutes later, Georgia scored on a shot from 10 yards out for a 3-0 lead.

Georgia scored its fourth goal two minutes later.

The scoring concluded in the 79th minute as the Bulldogs completed its 5-0 win.

Next Up – SDSU plays North Dakota in another stand-alone game on Friday, Sept. 7. Game time is set for 4 p.m. in Grand Forks, N.D.